Eleria could hear the flap, flap of leathery feet. Goblins! she was beginning to despise the sight and sound of them. Goblin Breath’s obsequious minions constantly padded up and down the corridors outside her room. Eleria glared around her room, cell more like it! There was nothing left to hurl. They’d taken it all and if she’d dared throw any of her bedding the little fiends would have happily left her to sleep on the stone floor.

She stretched and could tell her muscles were back to their normal fluid strength. Her captor hadn’t made any demands of her in days. No demands that she play the role of his pony as he arrogantly rode her throughout his underground kingdom. No wrestling matches that would end with him sitting astride her body laughing down at her. The thought reminded Eleria of other feelings his attentions had brought but she ruthlessly pushed them away.

Soon he would make a mistake and she would be free. Every physical challenge honed her strength, every contest between them gave her opportunities to study his skills, to find a weakness.

The door opened and her guards trooped in. “The Master commands your presence,” one hissed.

Eleria sneered, “he’s not my master.”

The guards stood like statues, waiting. Eleria knew her patience would run out before theirs did so she stood and walked through the doorway. Her guards fell in step. If she was honest with herself she would have admitted that although the lack of attention from the Goblin King had given her body time to recover it had also given her time to become very bored.

Eleria was a thief by choice as well as by natural ability. Any other life would have been stifling and dull.

The guards halted before a large door. Without waiting for her them Eleria threw the door open and strode in. The room was something of a surprise. A large folding screen blocked off one corner of the room while the largest stone bath Eleria had ever seen dominated the centre. Steam rose up from the bath carrying with it the scent of roses. She turned to find her captor observing her from the comfort of a throne-like chair.

“You wanted to see me?” she made it sound like a challenge not a question.

He raised an amused eyebrow, “slaves are summoned not requested.”

Eleria bristled, “I’m a captive not some piece of meat on an auction block.”

Kardan laughed. “Strip!” he ordered.

Eleria shot him a look of pure hate, “bite me goblin breath.”

He laughed louder, “if it would make you more compliant I would but for now you will strip and then bathe.”

Eleria frowned. It didn’t quite sound like he was about to take advantage of her so what was he up to. “Why should I?”

Kardan wrinkled his nose, “you smell,” he commented and gestured towards the bath.

Eleria’s eyebrows shot up, any retort was swallowed by the shock of his statement. “I what?” she demanded.

He shrugged, “you smell and I simply thought you’d enjoy the chance to bathe.”

As quickly as possible and without making it too obvious she evaluated his statement. After days of living underground and the physical demands placed on her it was no surprise she was a bit fragrant. “Fine but I’m only doing it because I want to. I suppose you’re going to watch?”

He shrugged and smiled, “one of the privileges of being your captor I suppose.”

Eleria turned her back on him and quickly stripped off her brief underclothes.

Kardan watched intently as Eleria climbed the steps to the broad lip of the bath. Steam rose to wreath around the soft curves and toned muscles of her body. She dipped a toe in a sighed at the temperature of the water. Eleria half turned to offer him a wicked smile knowing he’d be watching. Then she slowly lowered herself into the water.

Eleria felt the heat from the scented water sink deep into her bones. She allowed herself to slip beneath the surface before rising pushing her hair away from her face. On the stone lip opposite were jars and soaps. Eleria took her time testing and enjoying each offering.

Kardan watched without speaking, allowing her to take whatever time she wished. Eventually she slipped beneath the surface one last time before rising and turning to face him. Her skin glowed and beads of water ran down her face to trace fascinating lines across her shoulders and down the curves of her breasts.

Eleria coughed, “my eyes are up here.”

With a jolt Kardan realised he’d been staring, barely breathing, like a youth seeing a beautiful girl for the first time. Eleria ran her hands through her hair and laughed as Kardan’s eyes darted between her eyes and her chest.

“So what happens now?”

Kardan pointed to the large screen, “you’ll find everything you need behind there.”

Eleria took her time leaving the bath, a distracted captor after all was a more easily defeated captor.

Behind the screen she dried herself and combed out her hair in front of a large crystal mirror. Curious she opened a large chest filled with what appeared to be long strips of black silk embroidered with silver thread. ‘Beautiful,’ she thought, ‘but hardly useful.’ She dropped a length to the floor. It quivered and slid across the stone towards her. More strips emerged from the chest.

Eleria fought her panic and fought to move but her feet appeared glued to the warm stone floor. The silk strips rustled as they swept across the stone before spiralling up her legs. Silk whispered as it swept in a gale of activity around her body.

‘Magic,’ Eleria silently cursed.

When the silk tempest ended Eleria stared amazed into the mirror. Tall silken boots rose above her knees while strips criss-crossed around her thighs and seemed to outline her muscles as the strips clung to her skin. Eleria frowned, the silk seemed to cling even more tightly around her backside. From her hips the silk strips wove tightly around her waist, rising to form an intricate bodice with an almost indecent amount of lift.

Black gloves covered her hands to her elbows and the last silk strip appeared to have swept her hair up and threaded itself through a long single braid that fell to the middle of her back.

Eleria stormed back out from behind the screen, “what she growled is the point of all of this?”

Kardan steepled his fingers and looked at her with admiration open on his face. “Stunning,” he said.

Eleria smiled for a moment before remembering how angry she was supposed to be.

Kardan smiled. “Tonight is a special celebration, exotic foods, wines, guests of great importance. As host and lord of this realm I must make an impression and you will help me do so.”

“Am I meant to wait on you hand and foot, smile at your every inane joke perhaps.”

“Oh I have a much better job for you my lovely little thief but first the final part of your outfit.” He waved a hand and perfectly on cue a goblin appeared carrying a magnificently tooled, black leather saddle. It’s proportions were perfectly measured to fit Eleria’s back and the pure silver tracery pressed into the leather matched the elaborate designs in her outfit.

“I am not.., you are not putting that thing on me!”

Kardan raised a single finger and the silk tightened, a gesture and the magic in the silk bent her legs, dropping her to her hands and knees.

Eleria cursed, but the magic held her firmly in its grasp! Kardan walked around her enjoying her position from all angles. He chuckled and bent down beside her. You will find that when you don’t fight it the magic in the silk augments and magnifies your natural strength.

Kardan took the saddle and placed it gently in the curve of Eleria’s back. He stood back, made a small adjustment then at a gesture a strip of silk bound the saddle tightly to her body.

Kardan placed one foot in a stirrup and with a smooth motion mounted. Eleria felt his weight settle onto the saddle, hearing the soft creak of leather. Strangely his weight, which would normally have drawn a low gasp of effort from her, seemed diffused and somehow lighter.

Kardan took a firm hold of her long braid and kicked his heels against her thighs. Eleria started forward, instinctively wincing as she expected the hard floor to bite into her knees and hands. There was no pressure, no hard stone. The boots and gloves absorbed each motion as if she were crawling over the softest furs.

He kicked her again, harder this time but although she felt the pressure she felt no pain. In fact she felt stronger and crawled more quickly. “Faster pony,” Kardan’s hand smacked her backside.

Eleria gritted her teeth, fine he wanted faster she’d show him faster. Eleria moved from a scrambling crawl to a rocking canter.

Kardan roared with pleasure as he guided her around the room by her braid. The saddle ensured his position on her back remained perfectly positioned while the stirrups gave him the balance he needed to ride her like a real pony. He reined her in tightly and she responded immediately. Kardan could just feel her sides swell as she breathed deeply and for a moment he wished he was astride her without the saddle or any other barrier between them. Perhaps when the feast was over he would try this again but with significant modifications to her magical silk outfit.

Kardan reluctantly dismounted. He released the magic that bound the saddle and Eleria and she stood up. “Impressed?” he asked.

She snorted and looked down at her outfit, “at least it’s self cleaning.”

Kardan smiled and ran his fingertips gently along her jaw. He resisted the sudden but powerful urge to trace the line down her throat to her bodice. “Tonight you will help me make a grand entrance. Eat, rest and be ready when I summon you.”

After Kardan left Eleria waited until his minions had brought food and drink in and then left. “I’ll be ready all right goblin breath!”

Despite the extra weight of the saddle on her back she’d carried Kardan with little effort and carried him at a remarkable speed. The magic in the silk truly had enhanced her own strength. Now she needed to discover what other advantages 'goblin breath' might have unexpectedly given her.